Friday 27/09/2023:
The events of today have left me on a bit of a euphoric high and have felt somewhat surreal.
I have been really enjoying working with the team; they are all incredibly welcoming, patient and happy to offer insight into their experiences of theatre. Diane has been really generous in letting me come into fittings and had expressed that myself and Amy would be welcome to poke our heads into the dance studio to watch a bit of the ballet rehearsals. I was really excited by this prospect, as ballet is a world I have limited knowledge of, other than through shows at Sadlers. I am finding it really exciting to speak to the dancers about their experiences, as they are so different to my own and I am finding their unrelenting drive really inspiring and in some ways difficult to comprehend as I cannot imagine having the capability to push myself, mentally and physically to within half of their efforts. I am finding it really personally motivating. It makes me feel that what I want to achieve, to work within industry as a successful designer, is attainable, if I commit myself in an equally driven way.
Myself and Amy went into the tea room, for a quick break and were both a bit awe stricken to find Matthew Bourne in the room with us. I was really grateful to Amy, as she initiated a conversation with him and from there on, I found it easier and more approachable to work my own questions into the conversation. It was really fascinating and revealing to hear from him, directly, about his inspirations and experiences with the show. Asking him about how the show has changed over time, he explained that through the years he has been able to refine and reimagine his original choreography and that he feels the show is at a point where he is currently the happiest and proudest he has been of it. He says he feels more connected to the show in its current form, as it is a reflection of his own artistic evolution and it has been able to grow into a more mature and refined piece. It is so fascinating to hear how Bourne relates to the show in this way; one may assume that due to the original 1995 shows 5 star reception and being burnt into ballet history, Bourne may not have felt that it needed improvement or development from its original performance. I find that I also look back on older pieces of work I create with critical eyes and see flaws that may not be so pronounced to other viewers. However, I also think that it is wonderful that a piece can develop and become fluid and ever evolving, beyond its original iconic form. Bourne’s Swan Lake today, sharing the same essence and fundamentals of the 1995 show, is birthed from Matthew Bourne’s learning and own development since he first choreographed it. We had a really rich conversation with Matthew and it was really encouraging to genuinely engage with someone I have found so inspirational and to be able to learn more about the show. He then invited myself and Amy in to watch the rehearsals. We sat and watched as the 8 principles evolved into the Swan and Prince characters, with Matthew and Etta Murfitt (Associate Artistic Director) directing them. This was thrilling to watch. I am becoming incredibly fascinated by dance. I love how the body becomes the vehicle of the storytelling, as words are lost. In relation to costume, it has been so interesting to listen to Diane, Lez and Sarah Holmes take into account how fabrics need to be malleable, for the dancers, with modifications made to garments, such as the mens sleeves having gussets added in, to ensure movability. I really like how this adds a new element of problem solving into the costume design and making process. The costumes become even more important, as they are the only other indication, outside of the dancers physical expressions and set that convince the audience of the story they are being asked to believe. Overall this was such an incredible day and has left me feeling elated and curious as to what a career making costume for ballet could look like.